These new Washington state laws go into effect in 2023
Washington State Minimum Wage Increase in 2023
On January 1, the minimum wage will increase from $14.49 an hour to $15.74 an hour.
OLYMPIA, wash. – The new laws go into effect on January 1, 2023 in Washington State with significant changes including an increase in the minimum wage, worker protections and wage transparency in job postings.
The Washington Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) detailed some of the changes to ensure the public is aware.
Increasing the minimum wage
Washington will have the highest state minimum wage in the country in 2023, when it rises nearly 9% to $15.74 an hour.
The state’s minimum wage for 2022 was $14.49 an hour — that’s an increase of $1.25.
According to L&I, the increase is “directly linked to the cost of common goods such as housing, food and medical care as reflected in the Consumer Price Index.”
State law approved by voters in 2016 directs L&I to calculate the minimum wage for the following year based on the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers.
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The minimum wage applies to workers aged 16 and over. Under state law, 14- and 15-year-olds can be paid 85%, which will be $13.38 in 2023.
Cities are allowed to set higher minimum wages. Seattle’s minimum wage for large employers will rise from $17.27 to $18.69 an hour in 2023.
Washington’s wage will be even higher than California’s, which is increasing to $15.50 on January 1, 2023.
Click here for more details.
Rideshare driver’s rights
Rideshare drivers will also get new rights and protections after the legislation is passed in 2022.
Drivers for services like Uber and Lyft will be entitled to minimum travel pay, paid sick time, workers’ compensation coverage and protection from retaliation for exercising these rights.
Click here for more details.
Transparency of job announcements
Businesses with at least 15 employees will need to include the following in each job posting or advertisement:
- Pay range or pay scale
- General description of all benefits offered
- Identify any other compensation
Click here for more details.
Wage threshold exempt from overtime
L&I explains “To be exempt from state minimum wage law, executive, administrative, professional or computer professionals and outside salespeople must earn at least the minimum wage.”
“For employers with 50 or fewer employees, the 2023 wage threshold is 1.75 times the minimum wage: $1,101.80/week ($57,293.60/year). For employers with 51 or more employees, the threshold is twice the minimum wage , $1,249 ($25,249/week). /year)”
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Agricultural overtime work
Agricultural workers will have to work fewer hours to qualify for overtime pay.
In 2023, ag workers will have to work 48 hours before they start earning overtime. In 2024, overtime eligibility begins when a worker reaches 40 hours per week.
Click here for more details.
